Transitioning into Your Passion, Your Calling, Your Talent

Transitioning into Your Passion, Your Calling, Your Talent

Callingnoun
a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work (such as religious work)
the work that a person does or should be doing

Talentnoun
natural aptitude, ability or skill.

You’ve finally found that thing that makes you feel on fire from the inside out. You get excited every time you think about it and are inspired every time you’re around it. To top it all off, you’re actually pretty darn good at it!

Whether it be managing, teaching, configuring, or creating, if you’re passionate about it you HAVE to start pursuing it. Why? How? See below!
If you’re having difficulty finding what you’re passionate about, there’s something below for you too.

When something beautiful is given to you, share it.
Your gift was not given to you accidentally nor was it given to you to hide and keep to yourself. Your purpose is bigger than you. When I started a bakery business, my goal was to bring a little bit of delicious joy to someone else’s life. I didn’t know that starting my bakery would inspire friends to pursue their own businesses too!Simply put, if you choose not to pursue your passion, you’re being stingy.

Corinthians 12:7-11 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

Not pursuing it will stunt your individual growth and potentially the growth of others (see point #1).I’m simply not the woman I was three years ago and neither are the women I’ve connected with through Polished Pistil.
The idea of Polished Pistil was born in the midst of a heart-to-heart conversation between me and another woman. We regularly shared our tips and tricks, our fears, our triumphs and our advice for one another. We wanted that experience for more women.
Through the Polished Pistil brand, new friends have been made and stronger bonds have been created with current friends. Example: For the launch, two of my girlfriends used their last bit of gas to come help me with my vision for the launch party; they put in hours of work. Since then, friends and family have volunteered time, talents, and gifts to help me keep this thing rolling.
The Polished Pistil brand has provided individual growth in ways I couldn’t have imagined three years ago.
How so? Since the launch, although I’ve never really cared for networking, I’ve attended networking brunches and made genuine connections through them. I’ve allowed people to critique my work (and in the words of Ms. Badu, I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my ‘ish). Conducted interviews with complete strangers within seconds of meeting them, done a bit of acting and directing, pushed others outside of their comfort zone (writing, acting, volunteering), rediscovered self expression through poetry, did an open mic poetry reading, and I’m currently in the process of publishing a poetry/short story book.Is this my full-time job? No, it is so much more. It is something that sources my growth and others. It’s connection, it’s passion and it’s purpose.

It’s what you were created to do. Not doing it may end in regret.
According to Webster, “Purpose” is defined as, “The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”Pursuing your passion, calling, gift and/or talent simply means you are doing what you were designed to do.

“If you have money, power, and status today, it is due to the century and place in which you were born, to your talents and capacities and health, none of which you earned. In short, all your resources are in the end the gift of God.” -Tim Keller

According to business insider, and forbes, not having had the courage to follow one’s calling is something people regret the most.

Now you’re convinced that you should start pursuing your passion but you’re not sure where to begin?

B. How to pursue your passion/talent/gift:

Ensure that it is your passion and not someone else’s.
Are you going to law school because it’s your father’s dream or are you going because it’s your calling, purpose, and/or passion?

Ask God to order your steps and listen to what He’s ordering you to do.
You were created for a purpose by your Creator. Your Creator, God, is therefore the best one to lead you on this path. In everything you do, praise and pray over it.

Write it down, pin(terest) it up, make it tangible.
Write down all of your ideas, your gifts, your goals and how you see yourself obtaining/going after them.
Example: You want to design a car? Get an idea of the kind of car you’d like to design, why you’d like to design it, how you see it helping others, and steps necessary to take in order to obtain this car.
Start writing everything down. EVERYTHING. If it crosses your mind, write it down.

Be a student.
Research, research, research. Become an expert in your craft. Learn about those that have done it, those that are doing it, and fine-tune your own craft.
If you’d like to become a fitness coach, learn more about what it truly means to be healthy, and learn about different body types. Become more knowledgable in nutrition and how it effects the human body. Research a variety of fitness coaches. Take notes on what they did correctly and what they didn’t do correctly. Research best and worst practices. Apply what you’ve learned to yourself and then on others that are willing. If you want to make it into a business, then you have another list of things to research.

Put yourself out there.
If you don’t believe in your purpose, others will not know how to believe in your purpose either. Make yourself vulnerable and allow others the opportunity to connect or constructively critique your craft.

START!
There isn’t a more perfect time than right now.

“A lifetime isn’t forever, so take the first chance, don’t wait for the second one! Because sometimes, there aren’t second chances! And if it turns out to be a mistake? So what! This is life! A whole bunch of mistakes! But if you never get a second chance at something you didn’t take a first chance at? That’s true failure.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Discovering your passion/purpose/talent:

Try new things.
See what you’re good at and see what you are not.

Spend time with God.
Can’t stress this enough. It’s the best way to get to know yourself, He did create you after all.

Spend time with yourself.
In order to discover your passion, you have to first discover you. You have to get to know all that makes you, you, separate from anyone (friends, family, spouses) or anything (jobs, external appearances, titles) else. Make some “me” time in your week and spend that time figuring out what it is that you like to do, don’t like to do, like to go, dont like to go, like to eat, dont like to eat, etc.

Surround yourself with what inspires you.Step out of your normal routine and attend an art show, an open mic, a conference nearby discussing topics that have peaked your interest but you never thought you could actually pursue. It is in these places you tend to meet people that are passionate about similar things. Be open to new relationships and communicating with people outside of your circle. Do a lot of listening! We can learn something from every single person we meet.Hopefully you’ve been inspired to either go after your purpose or discover it! Any thoughts or questions? Leave a comment below!Stay Polished, Pistil
Maquita Donyel

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"Stories of a Polished Pistil: Lace and Ruffles" consists of poems, prose, and short stories compiled into three characters. The book covers love, friendship, heartbreak, spirituality, abuse, cultural conflict, affirmations, and femininity.